December, 2007

Congratulations to these members of the UT Graduate community:

The Department of Geography and the Environment swept all major graduate student awards at the recent regional meeting of the Association of American Geographers.  In the Student Paper Competition, first place: Ingrid Haeckel (MA), second place: Katherine Williams (MA), third place: Katia Avilés-Vázquez (PhD). Jennifer E. Miller (PhD) won the Student Poster Competition for “Modeling Impala Distribution in Botswana Using MaxEnt”. 

Louis Zachos (PhD Geological Sciences) won a special commendation in the first annual Paleontological Society Student Poster Award Competition.

Rita Stephan (PhD Sociology, Portfolio in Women’s and Gender Studies) has won two major fellowships for her work on her dissertation entitled “The Family and the Making of Women's Rights Activism in Lebanon.” These two awards are the 2007-2008 Dissertation Fellowship given by the American Association of University Women ($20,000), and the 2007-2008 Dissertation Scholar Award from Providing Equal Opportunities for
Women Sisterhood International (PEO) ($10,000).

The Alley Flat Initiative, a project that combines cutting-edge architectural designs, sustainable development technology, and community development in East Austin, premiered in Second Life, the popular virtual environment, on Dec. 6.

Christopher E. Carlton won the Graduate Student Silver Award at the Materials Research Society’s (MRS) Fall 2007 meeting. Chris presented his paper “In Situ TEM Nanoindentation of Individual Nanoparticles: Observed Deformation Mechanisms and Theoretical Analysis” which he co-authored with Oleg Lourie and his supervising professor Dr. Paulo J. Ferreira.

Message from the Dean

As the semester winds down and we prepare for the holidays, I want to wish you a wonderful winter break. With the break comes the opportunity to take some time to catch up, unwind, and prepare for the new year.  Many of you will be continuing research that is critical to your degree, others will be working on the writing of a thesis or dissertation in anticipation of a spring graduation.  Many of you will be thinking about your careers after graduate school.

This issue of our newsletter offers some suggestions on how to spend your winter break (see Tommy Darwin’s column) and workshops and events to add to your calendar for the spring that will support your success in graduate school and beyond.

Whether you use the break to further your research and writing or to think about your career, I do hope you have a chance to unwind and rejuvenate. Take some time to visit with family and friends and to celebrate the progress you have made in the past semester.

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday,
Victoria E. Rodríguez
Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies

Everyday Excellence

Michael Ciarleglio, a fifth year student in the ICES Program, taught himself computer programming in order to create software that has been applied to two different environmental areas: conservation planning for endangered species, and groundwater management in central Texas. Read more >>

Professional Development/Skills

Tips, tools and advice from Tommy Darwin, Director of Professional Development and Community Engagement for the Graduate School.

“But I Just Want to Sleep”—Tips for Surviving the Holiday Break

As the holiday break approaches, let me suggest that one of the most productive things you can do is set everything down, rest, and recover.  And, if doing nothing just seems impossible, let me suggest that you learn the fine art of multi-slacking. Read the article.

Spotlight on Faculty

Information is valuable only if humans can gain access to it. In order for all of the research generated at a university to have any impact on the world, the world needs to be able to find it, perceive it, and make sense of it. Randolph Bias, Associate Professor at the School of Information at The University of Texas, works to make information accessible. Read more >>

Graduate Research at Work

2008 Social Innovation Competition offers $50,000 prize to put research to work.

Social entrepreneurship uses innovation and creativity to capitalize on
opportunities for social change. The RGK Center for Community Service at the
LBJ School is looking for students who have an idea to change the world, and
they are offering a $50,000 prize to put that idea into action. Graduate and
undergraduate students from all fields are invited to submit an executive
summary of an ingenious entrepreneurial idea, something that combines
creativity and innovation to tackle a pressing social issue. The RGK Center
selects semi-finalists from the entries to write a venture plan, which is
then judged by a group of faculty, business and nonprofit leaders. Three
finalists compete in front of a panel of judges for the grand prize of
$50,000.

Now in its second year, the competition expands beyond Texas to include all
universities in the nation. Entering teams can be comprised of individuals
or groups of students. The deadline to enter is February 1, 2008.
http://www.rgkcenter.org/competition/

The RGK Center is also offering a new course for all undergraduate and
graduate level students to help write your venture plan. The Social
Innovation Laboratory class taught in the LBJ School is open to students of
all majors and demystifies the process of launching a social venture. Please
contact Heather Alden, heather.alden@mail.utexas.edu for more information.

Featured Graduate School Resource

Graduate School Spring Workshops

If you are unable to follow Tommy Darwin’s advice for rest and recovery, winter break is good time to think in the abstract about what you plan to do with your graduate education, and how you can create a plan to get there. Working at a research university is one option, but there are many, many others. The Graduate School has a number of workshops and events planned for this spring to help you be competitive, successful, and fulfilled in your career. Plan to attend one or many of these valuable workshops. See the workshop schedule.

Getting a Life

Christmas shopping Texas-style

If you are wondering where, oh where, to buy gifts for your family and friends without getting stuck in a mall or in the endless labyrinths of online shopping, do yourself a great favor: go to the Austin Convention Center, sit down, listen to some live music, and reconsider. The 32nd annual Armadillo Christmas Bazaar is one of the great events of the holiday season in Austin. This year it features 24 musical performances on the Capital Metro Music Stage, a full bar, good food, and an eclectic collection of gift choices ranging from paintings to stamps to leather goods to clocks to weird wooden rooster dolls, all made and sold by regional craftspeople.

The Armadillo Christmas Bazaar runs from December 14th – 24th, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Admission is $3.00 weekdays before 7 p.m. and $6.00 evenings and weekends. http://www.armadillobazaar.com/